Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1887-03-12
SrkAA8A si8 q ~ IN INDIA.
The City OF Bombsy-Psrsses and Fire Wo..
ship-Towsr Of Silence,

ship-Towef OF silence.
Correspondence OF Baltimore Sun.
They have many Of their churches, or Fire
Temples, as they call them in Bombay, but
not being Of the same faith, was not per.
mitted to see the inside OF one. from the
outside can safely assert that these temples
are positively ugly. The sacred fire 10 said to
be kept continually going, person In charge
supplying 1t with fuel periumed with aro.
mstics, and taking care never to let 1t die out
The ignorant--and they are said to be very
few-worship this fire, and also the sun,
moon and stars. The great msjority, though,
are intelligent and highly educated, the men
aspiring to be known as scholars and gentle.
men. They have their own schools and give
their children every educational advantage
They claim to believe in one true and all.
powerful God, the maker and preserver OF
the world and the source OF all power and
glory. They positively deny worshiping fire.
the sun, the moon, or the stars but state that,
as they believe God to be emblenatic OF ali
light and glory, they always pray standing
boiore the sacred fire or facing the sun, not
making their their prayers to either, but to
Him OF whom they are symbolical.
A little over mile beyond the Mobamme.
dan burial ground and on hill top we came
TO one OF the straugest places OF burial In the
world-the Parsees' "TOwers OF silence"
There were five OF these towers within an OK.
tensive walled inclosure, which also con.
tsined hre temple, with holes 30 cut In its
walls az TO permit the rays from the sacred
fire within to fall on the towers. As we
drove up to this place Q Parsee funeral was
just approaching It All Parsee funerals are
exactly alike, they recognize no distinction
between the rich end the poor after death.
No matter how far away the dead body may
be, 1t always has = walking funeral, the body
being carried to the Tower of Silence on
bier, entirely covered with white sheet,
ard on the shoulders OF official corpse.
In al md l,vya 80
mourning relatives and friends, all walking,
aud esch dressed from head to loot In white
mourning robes, marching two by two, each
| two joined together by holding q white
| Sympathetic grief. Many OF those in the
procession which saw were chatting pleas.
antly togsther, Is though no thought OF death
had power to disturb them In the least
degree.
! These towers are cylindrical buildings
with very thick walls. Tho interior 10 open
| to the sky, being covered near the top with Q
circular Il bOrinH, which inclines downwards,
all the way around. to deep we'll In the
centre. Between this we'll and the walls
there are three circular rows OF shallow, open
holes large enough to contain human body.
These three rows correspond 10 the three
moral precepts CT the Zorosstrian religion.
| viz (: "Good Thoughts" "GoOd Words"
"Good Deeds" They are TO be used 70.
| spsctively tor men, women and children.
| The bottom of the we'll is filled with Offering
| layers OF charcoal and sand, DO ~ to keep the
earth beneath 1t from being polluted.
When the body Is carried into the inclos.
ure prayers are said over II, aud then the
officials-who have performed certain neces
sary religious rites, and are alone permitted
to go within the tOwers-take 1t within one
OF the towers, place 1t In q receptacle In Ii
proper row, remove ana destroy every stitch
of clothing about it" Naked we come into
this world, and naked We ought to leave it,
and then leave the place As soon % they
leave the tower, large docks OF vulture,
which have been rapidly collecting on neigh
boring walls and trees ever since the funeral
procession FIRST hove into sight swOop down
and denude the body OF every particle ol
flesh before most OF the funeral party have
reached their homes. In this manner the
Parsees hold that they avoid pollutng with
purifying fiesh those elements which, %
cording to teschings of their religion, art
Sacred TO God and useful to man-hre, Wate
and earth.
A few days later the official corpse bearer
return to the tower, and collecting the thsI
thoroughly dried bones, place them In tn
central wall, from which they are never N
moved, remaining there to DO dec0mp posed b.
air and rain. In this manner the ParseG
claim that their rich aud their poor q
brought together after death ON . psris'
! equality.
Although the very idea Of this manner
burial 10 rePul:ive and disgusting, yet In
sanitary point Of view, tt flls the bill muC
more thoroughly than cremation doeA